The CoalSwarm wiki was launched in early 2008 and later that year was accepted as a project of Earth Island Institute, an incubator for innovative projects in ecology and social justice. Affiliation with Earth Island Institute gave CoalSwarm access to logistical resources and 501(c)3 tax status, allowing the project to receive tax-deductible donations as well as foundation support. In addition to donations by private citizens, CoalSwarm has received grants from the Carlin Family Fund, the Energy Foundation, the European Climate Foundation, the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Rockefeller Family Fund, the Sierra Club, and the Wallace Global Fund. In 2018 CoalSwarm became an independent 501 (c3) organization.